CALIFORNIA — A new petition from the California-based Courage Campaign is calling on the state’s Senators — Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris — to block any Supreme Court nominee that Donald Trump proposes and join a Democratic filibuster effort.

“Democratic senators must stand in the way of any nominee who would rubber-stamp Trump’s most un-American policies: religious tests, refugee bans, or permitting and encouraging discrimination against women, LGBTQ people and their families,” explained Eddie Kurtz, executive director of the California-based Courage Campaign. “Republican obstruction prevented President Obama’s nominee from receiving a fair hearing. Democratic senators must not reward right-wing obstruction by letting Trump’s nominee waltz onto the Supreme Court for a lifetime appointment. Now is the time for bold, brave political leadership and California must lead the resistance.”

Senate Democrats, like Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) have already announced that they plan to filibuster any Trump Supreme Court nominee, but 40 additional Democrats would need to join him in the filibuster in order to block Trump’s pick.

“Trump’s executive orders have already proved that an independent judiciary will be essential to keeping him in check,” added Kurtz. “Trump has promised that his nominee would overturn Roe v. Wade and several of the people on Trump’s short list of potential nominees are openly hostile to LGBTQ rights, and some even support the right to discriminate against LGBTQ people and families on the basis of religious beliefs. Now is not the time for politics as usual.”